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PIA News Service - Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010

OWWA-13 inks MOA with Caraga Reg’l Hospital for medical program for OFWs

By Fryan E. Abkilan

SURIGAO CITY (OCTOBER 21) – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-13) has partnered thru a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Caraga Regional Hospital (CHR) as its medical institution partner for its Health Program for Overseas Filipino Workers (HEALTHPRO).

The agreement was signed by OWWA-13 OIC Director Marietta Lumawag, CHR Chief of Hospital Dr. Ponciano Limcangco and in partnership with the provincial government of Surigao del Norte thru the Provincial Administrator Romeo Cal.

The event was held at the Provincial Governor’s Conference Room, Wednesday morning (Oct. 20).

Dir. Lumawag said the CHR is the first medical institution partner for the HEALTHPRO in the region. HEALTHPRO is a subsidized medical and hospitalization services for OFWs who need medical treatment for illnesses contracted while working abroad.

The medical assistance will be up to P100,000 for active OWWA member OFWs and P50,000 for the distressed OFWs regardless of membership status who is in urgent need of medical assistance. For Job Site hospitalization/confinement abroad assistance offers up to $3,000 for OWWA member and $1,500 for the distressed OFWs.

Another feature of this program according to Dir. Lumawag is a medical reimbursement for emergency cases, “this is a reimbursement scheme for an OFW-patient requiring immediate medical attention/pre-evaluation of illnesses to access hospital services and initially shoulders his hospital bills.”

Dir. Lumawag also revealed that OWWA has been authorized to enter into agreements with other government hospitals and private hospitals throughout the region for the same purpose. (PIA- Surigao del Norte)

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58th IB culminates Battalion Retraining Program

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – After hurdling more than 3 Months of rigorous training, the 58th Infantry Battalion braced up as the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army culminates the Battalion Retraining Program (BRP) at Camp Kibaritan, Kalilangan, Malinao, Bukidnon on Wednesday, October 20, 2010.

The 58th IB is composed of Officers and foot soldiers headed by Lt. Col. Emmanuel L Mariano who undergone and completed the said training.

Major General Victor A Felix AFP, 4ID Commander said that said retraining is to hone the soldier’s skills and knowledge ranging from rescue operations, community development and combat operations.

The troops, with complete equipment in full battle gear diligently listened as MGen Felix emphasized his guidance to the newly graduates. “I only have two advices to soldiers as well as to the commanders… accomplish your mission and take care of your men.”

As the 58th IB continues to perform its duty, MGen Felix likewise reminded them of its overall mission which is to protect and serve the people well. (4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, Philippine Army/PIA-Caraga)

DAR distributes land to Dinagat farmers

The Department of Agrarian Reform is set to distribute a total of 120 Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to 97 farmer beneficiaries in the Municipality of Tubajon, Province of Dinagat Islands on Friday, September 10, 2010.

The titles will cover a total land area of 102.0839 hectares spreading to four (4) barangays namely Sta. Cruz, Mabini, Diaz and San Roque.

Akbayan Representative Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao together with local government officials and DAR officials is expected to lead the ceremonial distribution to be held in Tubajon Covered court.

“This is part of our continuing commitment of bringing social justice especially to the rural communities”, says DAR-Regional Director Faisar Mambuay. He also emphasized the very important role of women in nation-building and economic development that should start in the countryside.

150 individual Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) were distributed by the Department of Agrarian Reform to the farmers of Sibagat Agusan del Sur last 14 October 2010. The area covers a total of 244 hectares in the barangays of Afga, Anahawan and Mahayahay, all of Sibagat.

The awards were distributed to 102 male and 48 female ARBs by DAR Regional Director Faisar Mambuay together with Agusan del Sur Governor Adolph Edward G. Plaza, in time for the Governor’s 100 days celebration.

Gov. Plaza expressed joy for the farmers and encouraged them to make the land productive. He also thanked DAR for the various interventions that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) has brought to the province.

RD Mambuay informed both the people and leaders during the gathering that about 1000 hectares in Sibagat are for distribution by the end of the year. “ This is part of our commitment to improve our farmers, to improve our communities,” says Mambuay.

Sibagat Mayor Thelma Lamanilao was happy of the good news. She hoped that with this land ownership component of CARP, revenue collection will also improve in the days to come.

PNP personnel of Prosperidad Police Station led by Chief of Police, PCINSP APOLLO BLAZO ABAO was ambushed at Brgy Libertad, Prosperidad, Agsaun del Sur on October 20, 2010 at 1:20 PM by more or less thirty (30) fully armed men believed to be members of CTs which resulted to the Wounded In Action (WIA) of the following: PCINSP APOLLO BLAZO ABAO, SPO2 Mellardo Lumain, PO3 Leo Rhoderick Urbiztondo, PO2 Marcial S Corvera and one wounded civilian identified as Rosalie Rufon y Mabali, Brgy secretary of Brgy Libertad of said town. Information received states that said PNP personnel were on their way back to the station from rendering security during the distribution of land titles by the Local Government Unit of Prosperidad at Brgy Mabuhay of said municipality.

Firefight ensued which lasted more or less 10 minutes. As a result of said incident, said personnel were over powered and subdued with the overwhelming strength by the CTs and were robbed of their issued firearm consisting four (4) m16 rifles, one (1) 9mm pistol, four (4) bandoleers and ten (10) magazines of m16 and damaged Patrol Vehicle. Immediately thereafter, Wounded PNP personnel and a civilian were brought to DO Plaza Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Meanwhile, PNP personnel of Agusan del Sur PPO, Provincial Public Safety Company and Special Action Force personnel jumped off to the area upon receipt of the information and conducted hot pursuit operation.

All PNP station established checkpoints to check the enemy while Police Regional Office 13 Regional Director, PCSUPT REYNALDO SERRANO RAFAL, immediately jumped off and proceeded to the scene of the incident to personally supervise hot pursuit operation undertaken by the joint forces of Regional Public Safety Battalion, Provincial Public Safety Company, Special Action Force and the Phil Army and to look into the welfare of the victims under medications. Progress report to follows. (PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

Confiscated from the possession of suspect were two (2) red detonating cord (measuring 16 inches and 7.5 inches long), one (10 brown detonating cord measuring 8.5 inches long, one (1) 12 oz empty bottle of Pepsi tied up with red cellophane at the tip, two (2) empty bottle of 8 Oz Coke tied up with red cellophane at the tip, small amount of ammonium nitrate powder and one (1) pc White PVC pipe used as detonating cord container measuring 19 inches long.

The search was conducted in the presence of Mr Ruel Pizarraz together with Mr Alvincito Arreza, DA-LGU Fisheries Officer and Charlie Opiana y Lofranco and Mr Diosdado Inguito, both Brgy Kagawad as witnesses. Suspect together with confiscated items were brought to Cagwait Police Station for proper disposition. Progress report to follows. (PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

Report on shooting incident

One Alias lalay Lamon, legal age, and res of P-4, Brgy Poblacion, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur was shot by two (2) unidentified suspects with the use of short firearm of unknown caliber at P-9, Brgy Taglatawan, Bayugan Agusan del Sur on October 19, 2010 at 7:00 pm.

Victim sustained gunshot wounds on the different parts of his body while stray bullet hit the two minors namely Floravic Moralla y Villaberde, 13 yrs old and Jomar Moralla y Villaberde, 2 yrs old. Victims were rushed to New Bayugan Community Hospital for medical treatment while suspects fled to unknown direction. PNP elements of Bayugan Police Station still conducting investigation for possible identification and arrest of the suspect. Progress report to follows. (PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

Report on illegal logging

PNP personnel form Regional Public Safety Battalion led by PINSP PATRICK DELA CRUZ LUMBA, under the close supervision of PSUPT FRANCISCO D DUNGO JR, Battalion Commander conducted operation against illegal logging at Brgy Bit-os, Butuan City on October 19, 2010 at 11:00 PM and confiscated approximately 200 pcs of assorted species of logs.

Said logs were turned-over to CENRO, Bit-os for proper disposition and documentation. Progress report to follows. (PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)

Senator Loren Legarda today urged local governments, particularly in the barangay level, to take the lead and start the rehabilitation of the country’s ecosystems as a way to combat the destructive effects of climate change.

Legarda made the call to all local leaders as the country is set to hold on October 25 the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections.

“Whenever disasters strike, the effects and losses are always greatly felt in the local level, but sometimes invisible from a national or global perspective. That is why I call on our Barangay and SK leaders to include in their priority programs the formulation and implementation of a climate change action plan,” the Senator stressed.

“Furthermore, our efforts to increase resilience to disasters and combat climate change would be more efficient and effective when we begin in the local level, and we must start through the rehabilitation of our ecosystems,” she added.

Legarda, the Asia-Pacific Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, said that one of the drivers of the nation’s vulnerability to disasters and climate change is the continuous decline of the ecosystems.

“The degradation of our ecosystems make us more susceptible to threats of disasters, particularly flooding and landslides. In fact, the destruction brought by typhoon Ondoy last year was intensified by massive deforestation, particularly the degradation of the forests of Sierra Madre,” she explained.

To address this concern, Legarda had already filed Senate Bill No. 6, the Barangay Greening and Forest Land Rehabilitation and Protection Act of 2010.

The bill seeks to empower local officials to advance greening and rehabilitation and protection of forest lands as a priority adaptation strategy from the provincial to the barangay level.

It proposes the promotion of forestland rehabilitation and protection through the conservation, management and development of forest resources and biodiversity.

It also seeks the formulation of local greening programs with the aim to build, develop and maintain forest parks in provincial, city, municipal, barangay parks, roads, elementary school grounds and other public open spaces where appropriate. (Office of Senator Loren Legarda/PIA-Caraga)

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New business name guidelines to attract more businesses

Starting October 7, 2010, business name (BN) registrants will enjoy easier and faster registration process.

Pursuant to Department Administrative Order No. 10-08 series of 2010 issued by the Department of Trade and Industry, business name applicants will fill up only 16 instead of the 35 entries in the application form. This will cut processing time approximately by more than half, from 30 minutes to 5-10 minutes only. Applications may be lodged in any DTI Office regardless of the location of the proposed business and may be filed anytime before the commencement of the business operations.

The new guidelines also feature a territorial scheme for business name registration wherein a BN registrant shall be authorized to make use of his/her approved business name within the territory he/she may choose regardless of the number of branches/outlets said registrant may set up within the given territory. Territories are identified as : BARANGAY, CITY/MUNICIPALITY, REGIONAL, and NATIONAL.

There will be different BN fees to be implemented later this year depending on the territories being applied for. The current BN fee is P300.00 plus documentary stamp of P15.00. (Lorijane D. Sacote & Mary Grace M. Sanchez, DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)

The Department of Trade and Industry through its provincial offices will intensify monitoring and enforcement activities starting this month to clear the market of uncertified lighting chains and christmas lights. This is in view of the forthcoming Christmas season and the increasing demand for christmas lights.

Consumers are advised by the agency to look for the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers that are affixed on the items for imported and printed Philippine Standard (PS) mark for locally-made lights and to doubt the safety and quality of these items especially when they are being sold cheap in the market.

Only christmas lights with ICC stickers issued from January 2008 up to the present should be sold by retailers to the public. Those imported lights sold with ICC stickers earlier than January 2008 will be confiscated by the DTI enforcement teams in the region.

The mandatory certification on these commodities included light emitting diode or LED christmas lights and compliance to the set product standards should also be checked on these items.

The public is advised to report to any nearest DTI office the business establishments that sell uncertified or sub-standard Christmas lights. (Lorijane D. Sacote & Mary Grace M. Sanchez, DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)

DTI celebrates “green” Consumer Welfare Month in 2010

“Consumers: Green Multipliers,” this is the year’s theme for Consumer Welfare Month Celebration this October. With the given theme, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) takes the center stage as the lead agency.

The month-long celebration regionwide is anchored on the said theme which highlights the responsibilities of consumers to protect and preserve the environment.

BUTUAN CITY – True Love Waits (TLW) Philippines, Inc., a non-profit organization with the goal of connecting the Filipino youth with God and His ultimate plan for purity will hold the first youth conference here dubbed as “Unashamed: Equipping Leaders Celebrating Purity” come November 13, 2010 at Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) Gymnasium, this city.

According to TLW Butuan Coordinator Ms. Odette M. Andaya, the goal is to challenge the Butuanon youth to be unashamed in making radical choices that will birth to personal change leading to social transformation of our city.

Registration fee is only Php 100.00 (to cover conference materials) for every participant. Those who will buy tickets on October 2-30, 2010 will have chance to win in the raffle draw during the youth conference.

TLW is committed to give impact to the youth by teaching them to be pure in heart which will lead them to make the right choices especially in the issue of sexual abstinence until marriage. (PIA-Caraga)

Butuan City gov’t steps up preparations for SK, brgy elections

BUTUAN CITY – The local government, national line agencies and some private stakeholders here convened recently during the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting at the city mayor’s conference room to discuss further the plans, preparations and other issues and concerns on the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and barangay elections on October 25, 2010.

LTC Erwin Rommel P Lamzon of the Philippine Army briefed the council on the security measures during the election, and stressed the major need of coordination by the council from its preparation until end of election.

Lamzon also emphasized the big roles of the barangay election inspectors (BEIs), personnel in-charge from the Commission on Election (COMELEC), Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP), and other concerned agencies in ensuring a clean, honest and peaceful election.

Meanwhile, PSSUPT Benson Leleng, City Director of Butuan City Police Office bared that far-flung areas especially those considered as election-watch-list areas will be secured by PNP and AFP.

City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. assured that the city government will fast-track its preparations and coordination with all the concerned agencies.

With this upcoming SK and barangay elections, the general public is also encouraged to exercise their right to vote. (PIA-Caraga)

Camp Rafael C Rodriguez, Libertad, Butuan City - While the government and other organizations are doing with good projects and activities, the CPP/NPA would like to be remembered for terror and atrocities.

This belies the claim of the CPP/NPA that they are pro-people. The people should not be forgiving, but should condemn these acts. Caraga Police Director PCSUPT REYNALDO SERRANO RAFAL, CEO VI said that the recent action of the rebels only proves that the NPA's obvious motive is to destabilize the government by spoiling the economic opportunities in the region and the country as a whole. The trademarks of the rebels is sowing terror and do atrocities, but still the Philippine National Police together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the region are on the top of the situation.

RD RAFAL denounced the ambush made by the Communist Terrorist in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur yesterday afternoon. Elements of Prosperidad MPS led by PCINSP APOLLO BLAZO ABAO together with three (3) PNCOs namely SPO2 Mellardo p Lumain, PO3 Leo Rhoderick Urbiztundo and PO2 Marcial S Corvera while on their way back to Prosperidad Police Station after securing the LGUs in distributing land titles at Brgy Mabuhay of said municipality, upon reaching at Brgy Libertad, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur at 1:30 PM were ambushed by more or less fifty (50) CTs and fierce gun battle/firefight ensued which lasted more or less ten (10) minutes.

As a result of said incident, abovementioned personnel were over powered and subdued with the overwhelming strength of the CTs and were wounded and robbed of their individual issued firearms consisting four (4) M16 rifle, one (1) 9mm pistol four (4) bandoliers and ten (10) magazines of M16 and damaged patrol vehicle. Immediately thereafter, the Wound-in-Action (WIA) PNP personnel were brought to DO Plaza Memorial Hospital where they are now undergoing treatment.

Joint force from Agusan del Sur PPO, PPSC and SAF personnel jumped off to the area upon receipt of information and conducted pursuit operation, while all police stations in the province immediately established checkpoints. General RAFAL upon receipt of information of the incident immediately jumped off and proceeded to the scene of the incident to personally supervise the hot pursuit operations undertaken by the joint forces of PNP RPSB, PPO PPSC, SAF and the Phil Army and to look into the welfare of the victims under medical treatment.

The government forces commends the heightened awareness on the part of the citizens for taking an active part in maintaining the peace and order of the region by being vigilant and courageous in cooperating with our law enforcers. (PCI Nelly Tabornal Villagarcia, PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)